Beginnings
by Jeffrey the Giraffe
Summary: With Voldemort defeated, Harry, a few years out of school and married to Ginny Weasley, is faced with the challenge of protecting his remaining friends and destroying what is left of the Dark Lord's army.
1. A Sad Beggining

Harry stood alone next to a headstone that had been placed on the cold, hard ground. He wondered _why, why does this have to keep happening? I thought the attacks would stop since I killed him._ As he stood there, Ginny walked up to him and looked down at the headstone. It read:

_In loving memory_

_Neville Longbottom_

She looked upagain andsaid she missed him to, then kissed him on the cheek and said she would see him back at the house. He nodded and mumbled 'ok.'

He began to walk down the row of headstones, stopping every now and then to read one, most of time people he didn't know. A few of them were friends, such as Dean Thomas, killed fighting a Death Eater, or Luna Lovegood, who, despite her odd ways, had joined the Order as soon as she was out of Hogwarts and was killed during a mission. Then he stopped at one grave inperticular he had been looking for. He looked down and read the words butstill couldn't believe what they said:

_Hogwarts will never be the same_

_To the one and only_

_Hagrid_

Harry wondered why he had to go. Hagrid had been on a mission for the order. He was to try and get in with a group of trolls thought to be on the Ministry's side but they had been mistaken and he was murdered by his own kind. The ministry had managed to cover it up until Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione publicized it.

He looked up and noticed it was becoming dark but he wasn't worried about Death Eaters or any other parts of the Dark Lord army that had been able to survive. Since Voldemort had been defeated after what is called the greatest duel in magical history between him and Voldemort, the attacks had gone down but not disappeared as everyone had hoped they would. It seemed that by the end of the Dark Lords rule, he was allowing more freedom but keeping control over his army. So when he was defeated, the army only lost the head of their operation, not the body.

With a little pop, Harry disappeared into the night. He arrived at his door where Ginny stood waiting for him, as she did every night that he had been out. He walked slowly up to the door, taking in the night air and looking around. As he reached the door, he looked up at Ginny's smiling face and knew it was all going to be ok in the end. He made a mental note to contact Ron and Hermione in the morning about a plan he had been working on in his mind, but had not completed until tonight at the graveyard. As he stood up on the final step, he reached out and grabbed Ginny's hand and walked inside with her and closed the door.


	2. The Unexpected Owl

The Unexpected Owl

Chapter 2

Harry awoke with a start the next morning to the sound of beak against glass. He rolled over to see what the noise was and fell of the bed. Ginny jolted up and looked over the side of the bed and laughed.

"Are you all right, Harry?" she asked casually, picking up what had happened. She got out of bed, went over to the window and opened it up.

The owl flew in and went strait to Harry, who was still on the ground. He stood up and sat on the edge of the bed. The owl landed next to him and stuck out its leg. Harry pulled off the letter and unrolled it. He instantly noticed that it was from Hogwarts and began to read.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_On behalf of Hogwarts, I would like to extend a job offer to you. As headmaster, the deputy headmistress or headmaster usually precedes me. However, the ministry has allowed me the chance to pick who shall be the next headmaster/headmistress. I have carefully considered who I believe would make the best head of our school, and, seeing the past services and bravery you have shown to our school, I see it fit that I offer you the chance to become the headmaster. Please reply to this letter as soon as you can, as I the deadline is coming and we are yet to have a new head._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

As Harry stared down at the letter, and read it again, the owl flew out the window. Ginny moved over next to Harry and read the letter then looked up at him in surprise.

"I think you should do it Harry," she said happily. "I think you would make a great headmaster and I believe Dumbledore would have thought so too."

Harry looked up at her and then back down at the letter. He knew then what he must do. Hogwarts needed him and in a way, he needed Hogwarts. He stood up and walked over to his desk. He pulled out a pen and a piece of parchment and began to right. He replied to her leader answering yes and that he would be joining her at Hogwarts before the beginning of the semester. He signed the letter, called in Hedwig, and attached the letter to her leg. He told her Hogwarts and she was off out the window.

As soon as Hedwig was out of the window Ginny walked over and shut it again walked over to Harry. "I think you're doing the right thing, Harry," she said to him, "Hogwarts is where you belong. I'll come with you, and we can watch after the school together."

Seeming reassured, Harry walked over his dresser, pulled out some clothes and walked into the restroom to take a shower.

As Harry stepped out of the shower he could smell the aroma of breakfast in the air. He quickly dressed and walked into the kitchen where he found Ginny sitting at the table, who's plate was already clean. She was reading the newspaper and looked up when he entered. "Nobody we know today!" she said happily. This was good news to Harry, since he wondered every morning when he got up if someone had disappeared or been murdered.

He sat down and scooped some bacon, waffles, and eggs onto his plate. The smell was almost overwhelming. He began to eat and was finished within minutes. Ginny looked up from the paper and said, "That was fast. Are you in a hurry or something?"

He looked up at her and replied, "Well, sort of, I need to right a letter to your brother and Hermione."

"Oh, well you don't need to write a letter. I was planning on going to visit them today if that was okay." She answered back smiling.

"Okay, let me go clean up and we can leave." Harry said as he stood up and walked out of the room.

He returned shortly, carrying his broom. Ginny stood up and walked over to him. As they left the house, Harry told her that since it was a nice day they could fly over to the house, rather than just pop up. "And if I get really lucky," he continued, "We'll get in a game or two."

At this, Ginny smiled. It was good to see Harry in such a good mood. She was worried what he was going to be like today since he had visited the graves last night.

They left the house and hopped on his broom. They were both very good fliers, but found it nice to be able to just use one broom. In the air, Harry asked Ginny if she had heard from any of the family lately. She said no, not since they had gotten the letter from Ron and Hermione about their wedding date.

Harry remembered that day very well. He was sitting in the bedroom reading when Ginny came in with a letter from Ron. She read it out loud and he could hardly believe his ears. She said that Ron had proposed to Hermione and that they were to be married in two months.

As Harry came back to reality, he realized that it wasn't very long before the wedding. In fact, it was only two weeks away. He still couldn't believe that his two best friends were getting married.

After a few peaceful minutes, Ginny pointed out the burrow strait ahead. He slowed down and began to lower the broom towards the yard. He landed softly on the grass and they hoped off the broom. He walked over to the broom shed and put their broom away while Ginny ran off towards the house.

As he walked into the house he was greeted right away by Ron and Hermione, one after the other. Ron shook hands with him and asked him how he was doing and Hermione ran up and hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. She was obviously growing more and more excited as the wedding date grew closer. They walked into the sitting room of the burrow and began to talk.

"We're looking into a place of our own. We're actually only visiting mum and dad here. We're leaving after the wedding and will hopefully have a place then. Before here, we were staying at one of the Order's places and doing some work for them," Ron finished.

Ginny was still talking to Hermione about the wedding when Harry brought up the subject of the ministry to Ron. "Have you heard anything about catching any more followers of Voldemort?" Harry asked Ron, who was working as part of the auror force against Voldemort. Harry had started as an auror but was backtracked when he came face to face with Voldemort. He had finally caught up to Voldemort in England torturing more people. He then had a horrible fight with him and won, but not without receiving some damage himself. He had healed over time and with the help of some healing staff, but had to retire from being an auror.

"No, but we think we've got the trail of a small group of them. Speaking of the ministry, why don't you come back now that you've healed?" Ron asked inquisitively.

"Well, I would but it seems I will be taking on a new job. I am to become the next headmaster of Hogwarts," Harry replied.

Looking stunned, then happy Ron said, "That's great Harry, I always knew they might offer it to you!"

Just finishing her conversation, Ginny got up from her chair and walked over. She said hi to Ron and then sat down on Harry's lap. He faked an omph sound and she gave him a look then laughed. Then Ron continued on about the ministry. "Hey Harry, do you remember the vail that we lost Sirius to? Well, the Department of Mysteries has just gotten to solving it. So far they've figured out the spell that was put on it and what it does. They're working on making another one in hopes that it's like a portal; you go in one side and come out the other."

"That's good. I was thinking about that recently, since I visited the grave yard," Harry said in a little diminished happy tone at the mention of Sirius. "Oh! I just remembered why I came here. I had planned on unvailing my plan to catch more of the Dark Army." And so Harry continued to tell Ron, Hermione, and Ginny about his plan and how he was going to catch more Death Eaters. He told them that he was going to try and get a contact in the Dark Army and use him to lure them out into the open.

"I believe that might just work, Harry!" Ron said, sounding excited. "I'll help in anyway I can. Just send an owl and I'll be ready!"

"Thanks, Ron," answered Harry, sounding a bit happier. Then he and Ginny stood up and bid Ron and Hermione far well, walked into the kitchen and said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and walked out the door. Once out, they walked over, got out their broom and began the trip back home.


	3. a trip to the ministry

Harry pushed on the door in front of him. After a second he gave up when he thought he heard something on the other side of the door laugh as if it knew that he had given up. So he turned around and preformed a silent jinx. He heard something on the other side fall over, stricken by a jinx making him immobile. He walked back up to the door and pushed again and the door was instantly open. Looking down at the floor, expecting to see a body, he was surprised to find nothing. Then his senses told him to jump out the spot he was standing in. He did it and saw a curse fly past him. He turned around and saw a death eater standing with his wand pointed at him. Harry jumped to the side again, dodging another curse and pulled out his own wand. As he went to perform a curse, the death eater shot his wand out of his hand. Harry dived to the side then stood up and ran at the death eater, dodging curses here and there. Then he stood up and socked the death eater in the face. He heard a cracking noise and saw blood splatter everywhere. The death eater's nose was broken and he was distracted for a moment. In that time Harry managed to grab out his pocket knife, repaired since it had melted and stabbed the death eater in the neck. He heard a gasp of pain and watched as the death eater fell to the floor, bleeding everywhere.

He walked over to where his wand had landed and bent over and picked it up. He turned around and saw that the death eater had disappeared somehow. Not bothering himself with how it had happened, he looked at the room for the first time. He recognized it instantly. He was back in the department of mysteries in the first room they go into. He looked around and noticed that the door he had come in was shut and he didn't know where it was as the room had rearranged while he was fighting.

Standing in the middle of the room, Harry tried to remember what he had done with all of the people who had come with him. He remembered that Hermione had preformed some sort of charm on each door they tried so that he could tell where they had been. So he stated trying doors, most of the time finding the wrong room and marking them with the red mark. He finally found the door he had come in from.

As he stepped out of the revolving room he sensed that something was wrong. He turned just in time to see a group of men running at him with wands raised. Then he noticed that they were death eaters. Fumbling for his wand, they were getting closer. He finally got a hold of it just in time to dodge a curse from one of them. He dove forward, knocking one of them over and at the same time yelling Sectumsempra at another one. There was a slicing noise and blood splattered everywhere as a slash mark appeared on a death eater. He died almost instantly, bleeding to death. Having no time to stand around, Harry jumped up and started dodging and yelling curses at the death eaters.

As Harry was fighting, he didn't notice people running down the hall at him and yelling his name. They all raised their wands and started yelling curses at the death eaters. When Harry looked up, he recognized Ron Weasley. Then Harry saw it out of the corner of his eye; a death eater aiming a curse at Ron. Harry started to yell at Ron and aim a curse at the death eater, but he was too late. The death eater fired the killing curse and Ron collapsed into a heap on the ground. In a fit of rage and sadness, Harry aimed the worse curse he could think of at the death eater and screamed the curse, almost increasing its power. It was like a missile hit the death eater. He seemed too exploded from the inside, splattering Harry in blood. But Harry didn't care, he ran over to Ron, hoping that maybe the curse hadn't worked, but to Harry's immense sadness, he felt no pulse when he put his finger on Ron's wrist.

He looked up and began to cry when saw one death eater left and was running at Harry. Before Harry could do anything, the death eater shot a killing curse at him. Harry saw the curse in mid-air and saw it coming. Then things seemed to speed up and it flew at him and then it hit him in the chest—

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Harry screamed, clutching his chest as he sat up in bed.

"What is it?" Ginny yelled sitting up too.

"I was just a dream," Harry said, settling down. "I was back in the Department of Mysteries and I was fighting death eaters and—"

"What?" Ginny asked.

"—one of the bastards killed your brother," Harry finished with distaste.

"Oh…" Ginny said, sounding worried for a moment but then it vanished when she spoke again. "Well, it was only a dream. No need to worry about it."

Looking reassured, Harry smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. "Well, we might as well get up since it's light out."

Ginny smiled and stood up, stretching slightly and then walking into the restroom to get ready for the day.

As Harry stood up he heard the shower start. He got up and walked over the dresser, got out some clothes and changed. Then he walked into the kitchen, his stomach crying out for food. Usually Ginny cooked, seeing as he had never been that good at any of those charms and she had grown up getting training from Mrs. Weasley.

He looked down at the stove and turned it on. He flicked his wand and few pots flew off a shelf and then crashed to the ground making a lot of noise. He tried again and finally got the pots to fly up to the stove, thinking that it would have been easier to just grab the pots. In the back ground he heard the shower shut off and the door slide open. He flicked his wand again and made a cupboard open up and few spices fall to the floor, splattering powdered spice fly everywhere. Just then Ginny, dripping wet and wearing a towel, walked in.

"What are you doing, Harry?" she asked, looking around at the mess of spices. "Wait—are you trying to cook breakfast?"

"Well, trying is the word for it I believe—then yes."

"That's so sweet she said smiling and ran over to him and hugging him. In the process, he got completely soaked, mainly because her long, red hair was swinging wildly as she ran."

"Thanks, but next time I'll put on a pair of swimming trunks," he said laughing happily.

"Har dey har har," she said, laughing with him.

After he managed to pry her off, she went back and changed into some clothes for the day. He went back to his attempt at making breakfast but luckily escaped on a count that he could burn their house down. Ginny finished up breakfast and served it up. Harry managed to eat the eggs that she made, but had trouble on the bacon that he had made. He trouble because the bacon was dancing on the plate, literally.

"Well-" Harry began, "-That was interesting to say the least."

"Yeah, the bacon was even funny!" Ginny said, looking at the last piece of dancing bacon on her plate.

"I think I'm gonna head on down to the ministry and check how Ron's doing." Harry began, but noticed Ginny's look and continued, "You know, just see how he's doing." He didn't think he had convinced her but she let him out of the house anyway.

As Harry stepped out, he took in a breath of fresh air and looked around taking in the beautiful day. Then with a slight pop, dissapeared.

He reapeared outside an old, beaten up phone booth and walked up and entered it. He pulled out a golden card and stuck in a slot. A raspy voice told him to have a nice day and the floor began to go down. The card he had put in was a special access card to get into any part of the ministry, due to his services to the Ministry.

As he stepped out of the lift he knew something was wrong instantly. He looked around and saw instantly the problem. Near a hall leading down to what looked like the Department of Mysteries, there were a few wizards standing gaurd and what looked to be investigation wizards. He began to walk towards the area and showed the wizard gaurding the card, even though he didn't need to, everyone knew who Harry Potter was and his status at the Ministry.

He began to walk down the hall when he saw it. His heart practically stopped; there was blood everywhere and in the middle of mess were two bodies. One body belonging to what looked like a death eater and the other belonging to Ronaly Weasley.


End file.
